


The Moment After (Magnus Does a Hit)

by AmethystUnarmed



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: (so does Taako but he likes to pretend otherwise), Angst, Based on the MaxFunCon East Live Show, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Magnus has a lot of feelings, Magnus has a small one after their implied near death experience, Panic Attacks, lots of swearing, somewhere in between petals to the metal and the eleventh hour, this is the adventure zone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-07-25 18:46:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16203464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmethystUnarmed/pseuds/AmethystUnarmed
Summary: "I just wanna say, I've lost a lot... and I, I'm just glad that, I found a new family, and I'm sad to lose this one too." -Magnus's last words when the spikes were about to crush them at the Goodfriend Retreat.After Art's trick, Magnus has a lot on his mind. Taako, for once, notices.





	The Moment After (Magnus Does a Hit)

**Author's Note:**

> I listened to all the live shows the other day, and Magnus's speech made me sad. So I made a thing.

Magnus could count on one hand the times he had been this angry. Art Goodfriend was just looking at them, smiling, like he had done this giant favor and they were supposed to thank him, and Magnus saw red. He punched the smug motherfucker with Phantom Fist. He felt a power surge through him. The X-treme Teen Bible was glowing in Merle’s hand, and it was nice to know that he was at least somewhat pissed about this whole situation as well. The punch landed beautifully, and Art’s nose felt like it disintegrated under Magnus’s knuckles. Art flew back and blood flooded from his nose.

“That was for Brad!” He said, because of course the guy they had known for all of an  _ hour _ was the only one who seemed the least bit sad they were dying together. Merle was focused on himself and Taako just looked at the damn ruby like he was in love with it. Magnus should know better by now.

Art looked at Magnus, and then at Merle, and then spit out some blood.

“Teamwork,” he said with a smile, and Magnus wanted to rip his damn head off.

“Fuck this!” He shouted instead, and stormed off toward one of the emptier wooded areas of the retreat grounds. He need to bury Rail Splitter in a tree before it ended up in Art’s skull. He walked up to a tree, and moved to swing his axe, but his arms suddenly were just too tired. Rail Splitter fell to the ground, and Magnus could only stare at his shaking fingers. 

_ We almost died. _

No. That wasn’t true. The whole thing had been staged. It had just been part of the trip, meant to bring them closer together. But he didn’t know that. His body hadn’t known that. He knew he was having an adrenaline crash and maybe a panic attack, but he just couldn’t breathe. Because the spikes were coming at him and were going to skewer his family (and Brad) in front of him and maybe he’d live long enough to see them die, their faces blank and glassy like Julia’s had been when he dug her out of the rubble and it was his fault  _ again _ because he hadn’t been able to protect them just like he hadn’t been able to protect  _ her _ and it was happening  _ again _ –

“Hey Mags, a big bonfire is about to start, and I have  _ no  _ plans of suffering alone.”

Taako was here. Of course.

“Just a moment,” Magnus told him, hoping Taako either wouldn’t notice how shaky his voice. Maybe he just wouldn’t care. But Magnus couldn’t get a break, apparently.

“You good homie?” He was aloof, per usual, but there might have been a hint of actual sincerity in his voice. Then again, Magnus wasn’t sure he even knew what sincere Taako sounded like.

“What?” Magnus asked, looking back at Taako for the first time. “Why would you ask?”

“Well,” he began, leaning on his Umbrastaff, “There were tears in my eyes when I got back in my body, and I sure as fuck didn’t put them there.”

_ Shit. _

“We were dying, and I realized I was going to be stuck in your body for the entirety of the afterlife,” Magnus tried to joke, but it was the least convincing thing he’d ever said.

“Mhm,” Taako hummed in the way that meant he called absolute bullshit. Magnus didn’t answer, instead turning back to look at the tree. He jumped when Taako put a hand on his shoulder. Taako was normally such a boisterous presence, sucking in attention like a black hole. It made him forget how quietly elves could walk.

“You know, it wasn’t real,” Taako said, like they were discussing possible Candlenights presents for the Director, “It was just some bullshit that asshole put together. Your protecting streak is still 100%.”

Magnus sucked in a breath—that one hurt.

“That’s the thing...” He said, letting his eyes meet Taako’s, “It’s not. Not regarding the person that mattered the most.” Taako seemed taken aback, and ready to speak, but Magnus didn’t want to hear it. “And it almost happened again, and none of you even  _ cared _ .”

“What-”

“I poured my  _ heart _ out!” Magnus was shouting now, but couldn’t find the will to give a fuck. “You’re my family! And all you could do was look at the fucking ruby?”

Taako didn’t say anything. His face was blank. Magnus let out an exasperated breath and turned to lean on the tree.

“I get that I care a lot, and rather quickly. I just... forget that you guys don’t sometimes, okay?”

“I didn’t want to look at you.” Magnus whirled back around at that.

“What?”

“I... I looked at the ruby...” He spoke slowly, as though carefully choosing exactly what he wanted to reveal. “Because... it meant... I didn’t have to watch you and Merle.” He took a small object out from the pocket of his robe. “Friends come and go, but rubies are forever, amiright?” He tossed the stone up and caught it. It glittered as it caught the light. “A rock can’t leave. It can’t die horribly and painfully either.”

They were quiet for a moment, neither of them knowing quite what to say.

So Magnus strode up and pulled Taako into a tight hug.

“Oh  _ fuck _ , you’re going to snap me in half!” Taako screeched, but Magnus just laughed. His friend pouted, but didn’t make any move to get away from Magnus’s grip. “Now if you put me down and are done throwing tantrums, maybe we can add Art to the tinder pile. Merle too, show him what Divine Flame can do, so he actually  _ fucking uses it! _ ” Magnus set Taako down gently, and he immediately stormed back towards the center of the grounds, still ranting about all the spells Merle could have used. Magnus chuckled, and rushed after him.


End file.
